Human Guides Fly Fifteen Rare Ibises to Spain

By the end of the twentieth century, the last major wild population, in Morocco, had fallen from 9,000 birds to 250. Captive-breeding and reintroduction plans were then launched in Austria and in Jerez, in Andalucía. Work on the Alt Empordà project started in 2024. The county lies about halfway between Austria and Jerez and serves as a stop on the migration. Aiguamolls Park, a protected coastal wetland, works closely with the team. Garrigós describes the ibises as intelligent and sociable. They are also curious and trusting. He says they have no fear of people because they do not really know any predators. With 20 years of experience, the Waldrapp foster parents have helped his group avoid many earlier mistakes, and so far the mortality rate has been much lower. Ibises do not breed until they are at least three or four years old. With some luck, the first breeding pair may come in a year or two. The team plans to help by partly building nests on the towers around the stables.

Over the next ten years, Garrigós is aiming for a minimum of 50 breeding pairs and about 300 ibises living wild in Alt Empordà. The projects in Austria, Catalonia and Jerez want colonies across Europe, linked by migrating birds, so different family lines can pair and keep a stronger gene pool. After a visit, Endesa, a large electricity company, began changing its pylons so they are more visible and less dangerous for birds, especially the ibis. Garrigós argues that stopping further damage is not enough: people must work to prevent extinctions and the destruction of habitats.